According to the Iraqi military, an explosion in the heart of Basra, Iraq’s southern city, killed at least four persons and injured four more.
The military claimed in a statement on Tuesday that the incident, which sent a column of black smoke into the sky, was caused by a motorcycle fitted with explosives.
The four persons perished as a result of a fire in two automobiles near the motorcycle, according to Iraq’s Security Media Cell, a source linked with the country’s security services.
“Forensic experts and specialised technical teams are still present at the scene of the accident to determine its nature and give more details about the nature of the accident,” said Saad Maan, the head of the Security Media Cell, in a statement.
“The cell will announce in a later statement broader details after completing investigations and technical reports,” he added.
According to a statement from a top security source, the explosion happened near the al-Samoud crossroads in the city centre, adjacent al-Jumhouri Hospital.
The cause of the explosion was not immediately identified. Asaad al-Edani, the governor of Basra, told reporters that the blast “has Daesh (ISIL, or ISIS) fingerprints.”
In July, a suicide bomber killed 35 people in a packed market in Baghdad, the last time ISIL carried out an attack in a major Iraqi city.
Bomb assaults in southern Iraq, where the majority of the country’s oil is produced, are uncommon, especially since the ISIL (ISIS) armed group was defeated in 2017.
Following the October 10 parliament elections, which saw populist leader Muqtada al-Sadr emerge as the biggest winner, political instability has increased in Iraq.
The election results were challenged by Shia armed factions loyal to Iran, who lost around two-thirds of their parliamentary seats.
